Contract for Marriage (17 page)

Epilogue

Ruby squeezed one eye shut and looked through the camera lens with the other. For a moment, objects in the small square were a fuzzy jumble, but she twisted a ring on the barrel and everything jumped into crisp focus.

A warm glow began inside her as Christo’s rugged jaw, darkened from weekend stubble and damp from pool water, filled the frame. Then, as she moved slightly to the right, the image changed, and her heart swelled in her chest.

Now that strong, masculine face was cheek-to cheek with another—the sweetly grinning face of their beautiful son, Niko. For an exquisite moment she was transfixed by the image of father and son in the water as Christo whispered something in the little boy’s ear, and they both chuckled.

Touched by the unforgettable beauty of the image, Ruby placed the camera on the table beside her, wanting to seal this vision deep in her memory.

“
Ela, Niko
,” her mother-in-law, Stella, said as she moved to the side of the pool, arms draped in a towel. “Come to
Yiayia
. I’ve made you some
tiropites
for tea.”

Ruby smiled as her son lifted his arms to his grandmother, and Christo passed him out of the pool.

“Have a swim, Ruby,” Stella said as she cuddled the little boy tight in the towel. “You must be exhausted after everything you’ve done with Niko today. I’ll tell Diana to serve dinner when he is asleep.”

“Thank you, Stella.” Ruby blew a kiss to her little boy. “Bye-bye, sweetheart. Enjoy your cheese pies. I’ll come and tuck you in.”

Niko planted a kiss in the middle of his chubby palm and threw the kiss back to her. Then he took his grandmother’s hand, and they walked toward the terrace.

Ruby padded barefoot to the side of the pool, basking in the warmth of her husband’s gaze on her bikini-clad body. Christo moved slowly through the water until he reached her at the pool steps. He tilted his chin, and a sexy smile painted his face. “Have I told you how beautiful you look?”

She smiled at the words he’d used every day of their new life, and as had happened each time he’d said them, her body ached to be close to him.

She took the hand he held out to her, and when he squeezed her fingers, a feeling of completeness swept over her. Moving down the pool steps, goose bumps raced across her skin but were banished as Christo drew her close, his strong arms enveloping her. “It’s been too long,” he whispered into her hair.

She placed a kiss at his throat, the tang of chlorine mixing with the warmth of his skin on her lips. “What’s been too long?” She leaned back to look into his face.

“Since I could hold you this close and tell you how much I love you.”

“We made love this morning, sweetheart,” she whispered. “You held me close then. Have you forgotten already?”

“Forgotten?” A smile touched his mouth. “I can remember every single time we’ve made love in the last two years.”

She widened her eyes in pretend surprise. “
Every
time?”

He leaned down and laid a kiss at the corner of her lips. “From our first time, right up until today. Every place, every minute. Every sensation.”

“That’s a lot to remember,” Ruby teased. She kissed him back while his hands caressed the skin at her shoulders. She decided to tease him further. “Can you pick a favorite time?”

Christo lifted his chin, his eyes narrowed in mock concentration. “The
most
memorable?”

Ruby held her breath, the joking suddenly forgotten as she wanted to hear which time he’d felt the closest to her, experienced the greatest feeling of love. She wanted to give him that feeling all over again.

“I think it would have to be the time beside the pool,” he said.

Her heart sank a little but she stroked the firm muscles along his arm. “We’ve never made love by the pool.”

“Of course we have.” He pulled her close so her own heart began beating with the rhythm of his. “Don’t you remember that evening when I laid you out on the grass and told you I was the happiest man in the world?” He slid a finger under the strap at her shoulder. “The time you wore that sexy black bikini.”

“No,” she said, and then she saw the glint in his eye grow brighter. “Unless you’re talking about the evening when our beautiful son was inside with his grandmother eating cheese pies.” She slid her own hand around to the top of his swim shorts. “The time you wore those tropical design shorts I love so much.”

“Yes, that was the night,” he said. He cupped her face in his hands and looked deep in her eyes. “That night and every night after.”

With his kiss warm and firm on her mouth, Ruby melted into his embrace, the beauty of their life together filling her soul.

Acknowledgments

When I’m sitting at my writing desk each day I’m never alone. In the background is an incredible team of supporters, cheerleaders and, quite often, bottom kickers, who keep me constantly inspired.

My heartfelt thanks go to:

My editor, Ann Kopchik, whose endless patience and ability to make me dig deeper into my stories is matched only by her very cool hair styles.

Alethea Spiridon-Hopson, for loving this story and waving her wand to grant my publishing wish.

My agent, Nalini Akolekar, whose guidance, skill, and belief in me is appreciated every day.

Mum and Dad, Sally and Leo, who gave me the priceless gift of believing there really are no limits to the imagination. And to Tim and Rose for helping me explore it.

Hayson Manning, Rachel Bailey, and Melissa James, my precious CPs and beautiful friends who have lived and laughed and labored through this writing journey with me.

Robyn Grady for her wisdom, smiles and gorgeous cover quote.

The “Blenheim Girls”: Emily, Iona, Margie, Deborah, Sue, Kate, and Louise, for being there week in, week out.

And finally to my hero-husband, George, and my four beautiful children, thanks for everything you’ve done to help me live my dreams. Squeeze, squeeze, squeeze!

About the Author

Barbara DeLeo’s first book, co-written with her best friend, was a story about beauty queens in space. She was eleven, and the sole handwritten copy was lost years ago, much to everyone’s relief. It’s some small miracle that she kept the faith and now lives her dream of writing sparkling contemporary romance with unforgettable characters.

Degrees in English and Psychology, and a career as an English teacher, fueled Barbara’s passion for people and stories, and a number of years living in Europe gave her a love for romantic settings.

Discovering she was having her second set of twins in two years, Barbara knew she must be paying penance for being disorganized in a previous life and was determined to get it right this time. It’s amazing what being housebound with four preschoolers will do for the imagination, and she decided it was time to follow her writing dream. Funnily enough, those first manuscripts had not a single child in them.

Married to her winemaker hero, Barbara’s happiest when she’s getting to know her latest cast of characters. She still loves telling stories about finding love in all the wrong places, but now without a beauty queen or spaceship in sight.

Look out for Barbara’s next book,
Last Chance Proposal
—coming soon!

Barbara loves to hear from readers. You can find her at:

Website:
http://www.barbaradeleo.com

Blog:
http://www.barbaradeleo.com/blog

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http://www.facebook.com/BarbaraDeLeoAuthor

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